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Archives: Projects

Browse these website designs to see some of the businesses and organizations I have served in Ann Arbor and Southeast Michigan. For examples of content creation, ghostwriting, or social media marketing, click here.

A nonprofit website with a private page for volunteers:

Above is a six-page HTML/CSS website for a nonprofit that includes a private page for volunteers and an interactive calendar. Created originally in 2010, this site is currently being updated to optimize it for mobile devices.

A larger nonprofit website with a blog:

Above is a 50-page WordPress website for a nonprofit that includes a blog, social links, an interactive map, and more.

A therapist website including blog & event sign-ups:

This 38-page WordPress site gave its owner a fresh look with lots of new capacity including a blog and, most importantly, a payment gateway that allows her clients to sign up online for her regular monthly workshops as well as special retreats. Her previous website (below) was built in the early 2000s and was ready for an upgrade.

Screen shot of client’s original site.

Since the client requested a different featured image on each page, we worked together to select complementary images and develop a coherent, clean design that accomplishes her business goals.

A small business website with a blog

The owner of this website had responded to a WIX ad to build a do-it-yourself-website and quickly realized that she needed help to implement her vision. Although WIX offers drag-and-drop editing, it can be frustrating for laypeople to navigate, even for clients like this with a master’s degree! I helped her find images to convey her message, fix mobile viewing challenges, and adapt the WIX template to a pleasing color palate. We also started her off blogging, which gives her customers valued information and also helps them find her in Google searches.

An education website with a digital store:

Above is my first mock-up for website re-design using WordPress. The client is an educator with a national audience. She eventually selected a different design, but I like showing this because it illustrates the role that images and color play in setting the tone for the entire website. A mock-up is a site that isn’t fully built out, but shows the proposed ‘architecture’ and tone of the site. Click here to see the images and colors the client ultimately preferred.

A one-page ‘calling card’ website

This website above was created using cherished photos taken by the owner. The design is modern yet very simple, so the owner will be able to update it himself.

A simple wholesale business website:

An image-rich WordPress website for a wholesale e-commerce business in Ann Arbor. Its sister company is featured in examples of my content creation projects.

A small business website update to solve problems with SEO, mobile viewing & more:

Above is a six-page small business website update that includes a WordPress blog that had fallen into neglect with a theme that no longer worked. In additional to making site improvements for SEO and mobile viewing, we refreshed the blog with a fresh look and new content written by the owner, along with adding images to older posts.

You may be full of ideas for the design and layout of your new website. But the content on a website doesn’t just write itself. Crucial to your site’s success is the actual message.

That’s why it should never be an afterthought or something that you throw together at the last minute.

Good digital content is a carefully considered blend of high-value “industry information” that prospective clients will appreciate plus highlights about your products, services, or people. Each piece of content is written with a specific goal in mind. That goal may be to build loyalty to your organization, create buzz about a new initiative, product, or event, or increase sales or memberships.

Here Are Some Examples of Communications — or ‘Content’ — That Get Your Message Out to Prospective Clients and Customers:

Newsletter for a Startup Company

Click image to open e-newsletter.

Ghostwriting for the CEO of a new company. With enticing subject lines and content that was valuable to potential customers, this e-newsletter regularly achieved open and ‘click-through rates between 35 and 50 percent — in an industry averaging four to six percent for email opens and click-throughs.

Print Newsletter for a Private School

Click to open newsletter.

Quarterly newsletter that was valued for marketing, retention, and fundraising for an Ann Arbor private school.

The purpose was to highlight student successes and to honor alumni and founders.

Blogging

Click image to open full blog post.

I ghostwrote and curated this blog in collaboration with the CEO for its first 14 months, in addition to managing the company’s social media channels. More examples of content created for this company are available below.

Press Releases

Press releases and careful cultivation of media contacts can generate the most effective marketing content of all — free, organic reporting on your business or organization. This press release announces a documentary film’s upcoming screening at a film festival in southern California.

Press releases may feature product launches, awards received, donations to charitable causes by the company, company growth (new hires), and other news that will be picked up by local media. (Note: This client, a first-time filmmaker, was the runner up for the Special Jury Award at the prestigious San Diego Jewish Film Festival! Click here to read in full.

Event Flyers and Announcements

You don’t have to look elsewhere for a graphic designer to create visually appealing announcements and attract participation in your events.

Be sure to make your flyers downloadable from your website and feature links to them in your social media posts. If your marketing strategy includes email marketing or a digital newsletter, announce your event there, include a link for downloading the flyer, and ask your audience to share it with their friends.

More blog content samples:

Product launch for a natural toy company. This company’s marketing strategy did not prioritize blogging, but still generated national traffic to its blog and website when it featured timely posts on its social media channels.